


You'll feel better when you wake up

by AbsolutelyNob



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: David Acting as Max's Parental Figure | Dadvid (Camp Camp), David Adopts Max (Camp Camp), David is a good dad, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, I'm talking about max, Max is living with David, Mentions of child neglect, character compliant cursing, from max's parents, max misunderstands the situation, parental relationship and Nothing Else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23251507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsolutelyNob/pseuds/AbsolutelyNob
Summary: Max sees something David didn't want him to know about yet, and misunderstands the entire situation.Or: Max thinks David is trying to get rid of him, when it's really the exact opposite, and he doesn't know how to feel about being wanted for once in his life.
Relationships: David & Max (Camp Camp)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 333





	You'll feel better when you wake up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beckwhite1331](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beckwhite1331/gifts).



“No, David! You think that just because I’m a kid I don’t understand what’s been going on! But I saw it, I saw everything. You can’t hide things like this from me, and I really thought you’d have figured that out by now! How long have you known me? God, and I really thought you were better than my parents.” He doesn’t mean it, he really doesn’t, but he’s just so _angry_ , and he can’t help but yell the first things that come to mind, no matter if they’re the truth or not. David really is better than his parents, Max has always known that, and David just continues to prove it day and day again, but right now, he feels so fucking betrayed.

He wants to curl into a ball, he wants to yell until his lungs fail, then keep yelling some more. He wants to run away, he wants to punch David in the kneecaps because that’s as high as he can reach. But most of all, he wants this all to be over. He wants tonight to be a regular Friday night, consisting of ordering food and eating too much of it on the couch while watching the first movie that looks even mildly interesting on Netflix, only to pretend to fall asleep five minutes before it ends so he can be carried to his room. He wants to go back to living the childhood he’s always dreamt of having. But he can’t just pretend like he never saw David looking into adoption agencies—tabs and tabs of them open on his laptop that doesn’t have a passcode for whatever dumb fucking reason. He doesn’t know exactly what it all means, has no idea what David is doing with them, but he sure can take a pretty wild fucking guess.

If only he’d listen to what David has to say.

“Max, please, you don’t understand, I really think you’re making this out to be a bigger deal than it actu-,”

“Oh, I’m making a big deal out of this? How else could you have possibly expected me to react? I just got removed from my parents negligent care and temporarily placed under yours, but now it looks like you’re trying to send me away to some— some adoption agency or whatever-the-fuck so that you won’t have to deal with me! Tell me I’m right, David! Tell me you don’t want me around any longer than necessary and I’ll leave right now! So sorry to have bothered you with my exista-,”

“Enough, Max!” David interrupts loudly, shocking Max into a sudden quiet. “That is not what’s happening here. I need you to understand that I am not ‘sending you away’, I could never do that. I care about you so much, and it saddens me to see how you haven’t realized that yet. I want to keep you around for as long as you’ll let me, kiddo,” David croons, now considerably calmer. There’s a softness in his eyes that Max just can’t handle right now, so he averts his eyes, opting to glare furiously at his own dirty socks instead.

“Explain that, then,” Max hisses, refusing to ease his anger while too many questions are still unanswered. David follows the direction Max throws his arm out towards, aware that the child has seen his research into the adoption process. He’s a very smart kid, most times smarter than David, so how he’s managed to misinterpret the situation so greatly is startling.

With a silent exhale, David lowers himself down to Max’s height. He’s been meaning to save this conversation until he was sure Max was happy here, happy with David; it’s all supposed to be a surprise that really shouldn’t be taking place until at least a few months from now. But Max is twisting his arm now, and there’s no reason to keep a secret that is only harming their already fragile relationship. Max deserves the truth.

“Max,” he begins softly. “Can you look at me?”

“No. Fuck you.” The boy shoves his hands into his hoodie pocket, gripping the material from the inside with all the strength of an angry ten-year-old.

Inhale. Exhale. Then finally, “I was doing research on the adoption process, yes, but I wasn’t doing it to get rid of you, I was doing it because I want to _adopt_ you. I’ve known from the moment you were put under my care that I wanted to continue taking care of you. I want this to be your home, Max. I want you to be happy here, with me. I know without a doubt that I want you to be my son, but you shouldn’t have to make that decision now. This isn’t something you should even have to think about so early on, but I wanted to get a head start with this, so when the time comes, everything will be ready, and all you’ll have to do is say yes. But only if you really want to.” He smiles softly, and slowly reaches out to touch Max’s curls. When the boy doesn’t react negatively— or at all, for that matter— David takes it as a sign to keep going, and lightly takes hold of his face, angling it up to finally make eye contact again.

He’s completely thrown for a loop, however, at the sight of tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. Max’s eyebrows are furrowed, and the veins in his eyes red with pent up emotion that is slowly being released against his will. David only manages to let out a breathless “Max?” before the boy pulls away viciously and sprints as fast as his legs can take him up the stairs and into his room. The door slams shut behind him, the sound echoing through the house with a resounding finality. A faint click of the lock following shortly after. David watches him go, and when the shock wears off, he spares a glance to his hand still reaching out, grasping the empty space where the body of his little boy stood moments before. He can feel a wetness on his fingertips; tears.

David has only ever seen Max cry once before, on Parents’ Day, but that was different. On that day, he had gotten upset talking about how little his parents cared about him. Sending him off to a camp without even bothering to sign him up for an activity, and then refusing to show up; refusing to be there for their son. Max cried because the reality of it all had set in, and there was no escaping that truth. But now, David can’t figure it out. Is Max mad at him for thinking about adopting him so soon? Is he scared at the thought of staying with David forever? Or could he be. . . happy? No, those were definitely not tears of joy. But honestly, David has no idea what underlying emotion he saw in that brief two second window where Max held constant. It was so raw and unfiltered, and David has never seen anything like that. He’s sure that in that moment, Max was the most vulnerable he'd ever been, and perhaps that’s what set him off. David was bringing about a new side of Max that neither of them thought they’d ever be privy to, and that’s absolutely _terrifying_.

‘Max hasn’t had dinner yet,’ he thinks to himself, standing from his frozen position crouched to the floor, eyes glued to the door Max just disappeared behind. ‘I should bring him something to eat. But he needs his space. Though it isn’t a good idea to leave him alone when he’s probably crying. How should I handle this as a dad? I’m not his parent, but I should really start acting like one if I want to be someday.’ The thought shook him from his trance, turning to the kitchen with a newfound purpose. ‘Give him as much time as it takes to prepare a light meal, then check on him,’ he finally settles upon a plan of action.

~~~~~~  
Max is crying. He’s crying and crying and he can’t stop _fucking_ crying. What the fuck is going on? No matter how hard he rubs at his eyes, the tears insist on escaping and it burns so much. He can barely remember the last time he cried so much— faint memories of being locked out in the rain for hours because his parents couldn’t hear his cries from inside the house, the sound of the thunderstorm that raged around him drowning him out. But this time the circumstances are different. This time, Max doesn’t know why the hell they won’t stop streaming down his face and wetting his favorite blue hoodie.

This is all because of David. That stupid fucker never knows when to shut up. None of this would be happening if the idiot hadn’t gone looking into fucking adoption websites. What the hell is his deal anyway? Thinking of adopting Max is the worst idea he could have ever had. His own parents didn’t want him, so why would the man he’s been tormenting for the last two summers actively choose to take him in. He’s lying, he has to be, there’s no other explanation. He can’t believe it, he can’t, he can’t, he-

A soft tap at the door, followed by a muffled “Max?” caused him to freeze in motion. He hadn’t even heard him come up the stairs. “I brought you something to eat. Are you hungry?”

Max most definitely doesn't have the energy nor patience for this, a conversation he was hoping to stave off until the morning, or preferably forever. Torn between telling him to ‘go away’, and the more direct ‘fuck off’, he ended up letting out a hoarse “Go off. . . ” A short pause, then, “Yourself.” Saved it.

“Max, I understand that you’re upset, but you still need to eat. I’m not letting you go to bed hungry.”

“You don’t understand shit, David.” Even while saying so, Max stands from the bed, tugging Mr. Honeynuts closer as he slowly inches towards the door; the shadow of the tall man on the other side visible through the gap under the door.

“You’re right, I don’t, but that’s why I need you to talk to me. Are you upset because I kept it a secret? Does it scare you that it’s all happening so fast? I told you this wasn’t even supposed to be brought up until way down the line. It’s okay to be confused, you’ve probably got a million thoughts about the situation going through your head right now, and I want to be there for you, Max. I’m right here. I’m not leaving your side; we’ll get through this together, alright? I promise.”

Silence wavers between them— David listening for any sound of acknowledgement from the boy, and when it becomes clear that he’s not getting any response from him anytime tonight, David moves to set the dish on the floor; Mediterranenan hummus toast, one of Max’s favorites.

A sudden click catches David’s attention, then the door flings inward and a little body is thrown into his chest. With his free hand, he holds the boy close to him as he stumbles back and falls ungracefully onto his behind, all the while making sure to keep the plate balanced as to avoid having it fall to the carpet below.

Max won’t look up, keeping his face buried in the man’s chest, but the quiet sniffles and salty tears soaking into his shirt speak for themselves. Freeing his other hand, he threads it into the thick black curls and pets them in a way he can only hope is soothing, while the other rubs at his back in small circles. Instinctively, he folds himself around the shaking body, almost like he can protect him from the terrors of the rest of the world in doing so.

“Hey, bud. You think you can talk to me? Can you tell me what’s going on in that mind of yours?” A shake of the head is all he needs to know it’s still too soon. And until he’s ready to talk, David will be right here waiting for him. He made a promise.

~~~~~  
David has relocated them back inside Max’s room, huddling in the corner where the bed meets the wall, with the much calmer boy sitting comfortably on his legs. Every so often, he’ll push back the hair that somehow continues to fall back into his face, and where he knows Max would almost certainly make a fuss about it any other day, he doesn’t seem to mind much at the moment.

“Hey, you with me, bud?” David breaks the comfortable silence with a whisper.

A nod.

“Can you tell me what’s going on? I need to make things better, and the only way I can even hope to do that is by understanding where things went wrong. Please talk to me.”

Max is silent for a while longer, and it’s enough to make David believe he’s nowhere near breaking down the boy’s defensive walls. He doesn’t want to end tonight on a sour note, but he also knows he can’t force answers out of a kid who’s so keen on keeping everything inside. Just when he’s starting to mull over his options, a small voice pipes up.

“I really thought you were gonna get rid of me.” It’s said in such a soft voice, so sad and open and nothing like David has ever heard from Max before. It’s a vulnerable, broken sound that tears David apart from the inside-out because _he caused this_. A wave of protectiveness washes over him, and he knows he has no right to do so, but he truly can’t keep himself from curling around the boy a little more, holding him a little tighter.

“I would never,” he says it so fiercely he shocks even himself. But, _God_ , does he ever mean it.

“And that’s just it, David, I don’t get how you can say that and actually mean it. I really don’t get it. I want to. . . but I can’t.”

“Then I’ll prove it to you. Over and over again until I can make you believe it. I love you, Max, and to have this conversation with you breaks my heart. You’re an incredible kid, and you don't deserve the things that happened to you. I want to be the reason they’ll never happen again, and I need you to give me the chance to do that. Can I be selfish and ask you to do that for me?”

Max turns his head further away from David’s line of sight, and says in the strongest voice he can manage, “God fucking damnit David. I fucking hate you so much. You’re the worst. I don’t even wanna look at you right now.”

But even David can detect the shakiness in it, and a quick glance down from his height vantage confirms that a few tears have started painting their way down his face once again.

“Max?” He prods once again.

“You’re a goddamn piece of shit. The absolute bane of my existence. Yes.”

“Thank you, Max. I promise I’ll do my best for you.” He hesitates for only a moment before finally throwing caution to the wind and bends down to plant a light kiss atop Max’s black curls. And where he expects backlash, he gets the opposite, as Max slackens in his hold and leans further into him.

“You fucking better, or else I’ll break both of your pathetic legs.”

“Alright, it’s a deal then. Now come on, I made you some food, and I know you’re starving.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! This started out as a vent and ended up with a somewhat sensible plot somehow lol. I actually wrote this months ago, forgot about it, found and edited it, and now decided to post it. Leave a kudo and a comment if you liked it,,,,,, haha jk,,,, unless?


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